Before You Say, I Do
by Starian Princess
Summary: Tea's about to get married and have the happy ending she's always wanted. But when the news reaches a certain CEO, what does he have to say about this? Has he really always hated her as he claimed?
1. Teaser

**Before You Say, "I Do"  
****By Starian Princess**

* * *

_**Does he really hate her as much as everyone thinks he does?**_

Seto stared at his younger brother's ecstatic face, just before he had turned around to put down the receiver. The statement, apparently, hadn't fully registered and he simply couldn't stop himself from asking again.

"Could you repeat that?"

His brother stopped mid-sentence as if he had been prevented from proclaiming his love for ice cream, and he turned to face the stoic man sitting behind the mahogany desk.

Seto inwardly cringed as he watched his brother's face turn from a look of pure joy to one of true disappointment.

"You weren't listening to me were you, Seto?"

Considering his options, he decided that telling the truth would be the better choice.

"No, Mokuba. I'm sorry but I didn't catch everything you said since you were practically ranting already."

Right, honest but blunt. That didn't seem to impress the younger Kaiba at all, he noted as he watched Mokuba's frown deepen.

"Well _excuse_ me, big brother, for being very happy. But two of our friends are getting married you know."

"And who might these two _friends_ happen to be?"

Mokuba sighed as he picked up the invitation lying on the table top. Carefully flipping it open, he read the lines Seto had been dreading to hear all along.

"To: Seto Kaiba and Mokuba Kaiba. You have been invited to witness the marriage of Yugi Mutou and Tea Gardner."

**-TBC-**


	2. Chapter 1: The Prediction

**Before You Say, "I Do"  
****By Starian Princess**

_Tea Gardner is just about to get married and have the happy ending she's been waiting for. But when the news reaches a certain CEO, just what will his reaction be? Has he really always hated her to begin with?_

* * *

Chapter 1 - The Prediction

"I see a clouded future with mislead decisions and chances ready to be taken. Two fated ones are meant to be entangled within a web of confusion. And it is still very difficult to determine where this path shall lead them." A cloaked figure amongst the inhabitants of Domino City sat quietly, trying to analyze the fortune she had just read from her crystal ball.

The stars twinkled with an unknown answer as the wind picked up and blew through the restaurant across the street, passed tables with a single candle, and a room at the back barely noticeable yet already entwined into the so-called web.

Fidgeting under a piercing violet gaze, Tea Gardner switched from looking at her food to the hands resting on her lap. A deep blush streaked her cheeks and her long brunette hair swayed as a faint breeze flew through the dimly lit room.

"Tea…" She looked up as a husky male voice called from across the table.

"Yes Yami?" Her voice was small, barely over a whisper as her eyes met his.

"You look quite uneasy. Are you alright?" She looked down. What could she possibly say to that? For a week now her friends, especially Mai and Serenity, had been fussing over a wedding; her wedding. A wedding that had yet to be planned, much less scheduled.

It all started with a joke coming from Joey about how long it was taking for Yugi and Yami to propose to her. Later, everyone else had joined in and at the end they all found it a conclusion that there actually_was_ a wedding to be preparing for. She had found herself too speechless at the start of the whole discussion that it had been far too late when she wanted to protest them speaking about something that had not even been decided yet.

But after getting home and lying for hours on her bed while staring into space, it was then that her mind began to swirl and she began to ask questions to further push her into the idea. Would they actually propose to her? What if they got into an argument about who loved her more? Would she still have at least one of them by her side if this happened?

The last time she remembered feeling so uncertain and confused about something was the time when she learned of the secret feelings that both Yami and Yugi harbored for her. She had felt terribly uncomfortable around them for weeks. But when Yugi called to meet her and told her that he and his darker half felt the same way and something as serious as that could not simply be measured, she decided that it would be best if she gave them a chance. And as time had passed she had learned to love them both as one person. After all, they already shared one body.

And now, things were happening all over again. It was just yesterday that they had returned from their trip to Egypt and it was that morning when Yugi had phoned her saying he and Yami had something important to tell her.

'Did they hear about the whole wedding fiasco? What if Joey somehow slipped it in?' Her mind was in a tornado as she shifted her gaze back and forth.

"I'm fine, Yami. Please don't worry about me. Now, what was this important matter that you and Yugi had to speak with me about?" She silently congratulated herself for not stuttering even once. But the uneasiness soon returned as she noticed Yami's eyes looking directly at hers. It always made her feel just a bit uncomfortable whenever he looked at her that way. His expression was entirely unreadable, as if he were once again dueling.

'Not that he ever stopped dueling…' She mentally sighed.

"Yugi and I have been thinking for a while now." To this, she looked up again at the former pharaoh. "For the week that we had gone to Egypt, it had made us think a whole lot more about this. More specifically, we've been thinking very much about _you_."

"Me?" Her eyes widened. They had been thinking about her? But the trip to Egypt was supposed to be about locating clues to Yami's past. She did not like where this conversation was going.

"Tea, I have not regained all my memories yet and it looks like I might have to wait much longer to fully have them back. But as I thought about this I realized that though Yugi and I can wait for my memories, there are things in thislifetime that cannot."

"What does that mean?" She couldn't hold it back any longer. Her trembling voice had definitely given away what she truly felt inside.

She watched as Yami stood up from his chair and walked over to her side of the table. 'This can't be happening. Is he breaking up with me? Are they breaking up with me?'

"That means, Tea, that we both love you with all our hearts," She closed her eyes as his voice grew closer. 'If they're going to leave me here then I'd rather not look.'

"And we've both decided that it's time we stopped being so selfish. We want you to have the happy ending you've always deserved… And if you'll let us, we want to _be_ that happy ending."

Barely registering everything, she opened her eyes and gasped as she found Yami on one knee in front of her. A smile grazed his normally serious face. And it was then that she saw that it was Yugi smiling at her. As the years passed, he had grown taller and if it weren't for the eyes and voice, one wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between the two partners.

Slowly, she smiled as tears began to fall from her cerulean eyes.

"Tea, will you marry me?" She didn't have to wonder why they used "me" instead of "us". In that question, she could hear both voices clearly, light and dark. And it was in that moment she felt that they were both there with her.

"Yes. I'll marry you, both of you." And with that she launched out of her chair and into his arms. By then, it was Yami who had gained control once again as Yugi went back inside their soul room to watch as he too could no longer hold back his tears of joy.

* * *

The following week seemed to go like a blur. After finally telling their closest friends about the arrangements, they had all agreed that it would be best having the wedding two months from then. There were still many preparations needed and the girls especially did not want to give up planning the décor and location, among other things.

"_So_, what was it like?" Tea placed her magazine on the coffee table as she looked up at her blonde friend.

"What was _what_ like, Mai?"

"_You_ know, the whole proposing thing?"

The brunette sighed. "There's actually nothing to tell…"

"Hey, don't be such a killjoy! There must be_ some_ details. Come on, how'd he even get to handing you that ring?"

To this, the dancer looked down at the ring on her left ring finger. It was a simple yet elegant design with a diamond in between two sapphires. Yami had always mentioned how they brought out the color of her eyes.

"You know, the funny thing is that we almost forgot about the ring." She laughed as she looked up at her friend's questioning gaze.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we were too caught up with him proposing that it was when we were about to leave the restaurant that he suddenly pulled me back to hand me the ring."

**-TBC-**


	3. Chapter 2: A Big Maybe

**Before You Say, "I Do"  
****By Starian Princess**

Chapter 2 - A Big Maybe

"Yugi, what kind of flowers do you think we should use?" Running a hand through her hair, Tea turned to look expectantly at her fiancé. The others in the room tensed as all eyes focused on the man in question as well.

"You know, isn't this something you girls are more suited to take care of?" Glancing away from the duelist's magazine he was reading, the King of Games gave the dancer a cautious glance. "I mean, I didn't think you'd even ask for my opinion on the matter of the decorations."

"Preposterous, Yugi! This is _our_ wedding and your opinion matters just as much as mine does." Smiling brightly in response, the brunette stood up from her sitting position and walked toward the couch where her fiancé was. And plopping down beside him, she placed the magazine she had been looking at in front of him, and over the "Weekly Duels" issue currently on his lap.

"I think I'd like white and pink peonies to be the center pieces on the tables and some on the pews in the church as well." She gestured to the pictures that had caught her attention only moments ago, and her eyes moved up to gauge the expression on Yugi's face.

To her surprise though, she found her eyes locked on the familiar piercing ones of a former pharaoh. She almost gasped as she felt a hand reach up to caress her cheek.

"Peonies are a symbol of a renewed life. I think they are very much suited." His deep voice drew her mind into a blank as she lost herself in him completely. "I think I would like orchids to be added as well. They are a symbol of love and fertility. What do you think, Tea?"

She could only nod as their faces grew closer inch by inch. And just as their lips touched-

A cough was heard as the other occupants in the room started to laugh.

"I don't think you guys should be doin' that while we're all here." The accent of a certain Joey Wheeler was evident as the blonde stood up and approached the couple on the sofa.

"Come on, you two. Better save that for later." He snickered when he stopped beside the coffee table to retrieve a can of beer. And a certain Tristan Taylor snickered as well.

Blushing, Tea nodded as she took the magazine back in her lap to go through the pages again. Really, she had to control herself better!

"Anyways, Tea, don't you think we should be leaving now to take a look at the gown?" Sighing in relief, she mouthed a "thank you" and got up to where the voluptuous duelist, Mai was already waiting for her.

"We'll see you later then. Take care, you guys!" She waved as she followed the blonde outside.

"Serenity, aren't you going with them?" To this, the younger Wheeler stood up and shook her head.

"No, Isis and I are in charge of the bachelorette party next week." She turned to face the dice master and she smiled brightly. "I've never really done something like this before and I want it to be perfect."

"Take it easy. It's only been like two weeks, you know." Duke laughed.

* * *

"Boy, I really owe you one in there, Mai." The blonde turned to face the brunette as they rounded a corner.

"Oh, don't be such a stranger! You know you'd do the same for me." They laughed. It was these instants that she'd miss the most.

After their frequent debates on the matter, Yami and Yugi had finally convinced her to move to Egypt for two years. There were still excavations going on and there were still many chances for them to discover clues about Yami's past.

Although Tea would miss Domino terribly, she had to admit it was only for two years and she would still be with the men she loved most. Yes, definitely better than having to wait two years for them to come back home to_ her_.

"That reminds me, Tea. How did you two end up working out the whole marrying-two-guys-in-one-body thing?"

"Well, we decided that I would marry both of them under Yugi's name. Yami was fine with it anyways."

Yami had even told her that if not for the fact that it was already Yugi's name, he would've had the same name as well. After all, his real name was still a mystery and Yugi was all but ready to share his identity with the pharaoh.

"I see… Oh, here we are. Didn't you need to mail some invitations?"

Nodding in response, Tea reached out to open the red mailbox and searching through her coat, she pulled out a few envelopes.

"Let me help you. So who are these for?"

"Since I sent most of the other invitations already, these are for some of my relatives out of the country." She explained, checking each envelop for any dirt or misprint.

One envelope, as fate would have it, flew out of her hand and onto the sidewalk.

"Oh hey, you dropped one." Bending down, the blonde picked it up and a familiar name caught her eye.

"Kaiba as in Seto Kaiba?" She grinned as she faced her friend to hand in the little escapee.

"Kaiba as in Mokuba Kaiba _and_Seto Kaiba." The dancer corrected, and then added, "Yugi and I agreed that we should invite them. They are, after all, still our friends plus Mokuba's been like a brother to me."

"I suppose you'll never change, Tea. When was the last time you'd seen those two?"

"I saw Mokuba the day before Yugi and I went to dinner. We even ate lunch together since he apparently doesn't like the cafeteria food." She laughed, remembering how much the younger Kaiba had grown throughout the years.

His hair was still as long and messy as ever, but she had noticed a charm that would definitely attract the opposite gender. Yes, he was getting to be a fine teenager and it seemed that he hadn't really followed in his brother's footsteps, on being aloof that is.

Kaiba. He, on the other hand, was someone she had not seen for a while. Although he would often appear on the news since he was a very famous CEO and was one of the most eligible bachelors in the world, after graduation she had simply lost contact with him. Not that they were ever close or anything, she scoffed.

They had simply been acquaintances. She had constantly looked out for him and he, of course, would pay no heed. As far as relationships would go, he was just Yugi's greatest rival and she was just Yugi's cheerleader. He'd always called her that anyway. It would still have been great though, if they had seen each other more of as friends, she mused. Maybe she would have been able to shed some light on his cold, standoffish life. Yes, a big maybe.

A bigger maybe than she would have even realized. Because unbeknownst to the two friends, a man was watching them from across the street.

His signature trench coat and just as familiar scowl, he was the one and only Seto Kaiba.

**-TBC-**


	4. Chapter 3: Ignorance is Bliss

**Before You Say, "I Do"  
****By Starian Princess**

Chapter 3- Ignorance is Bliss

It could have been anyone; the mutt, the pencil-head, even Yugi for all he cared. But apparently, some higher being just happened to love tormenting him so. And as fate would have had it, indeed, the object of his inner perils was standing but a few short meters away.

He frowned. The same brunette hair, the same agile form, the same dazzling smile, the same captivating cerulean eyes… it was as if he were looking into the past, as if he were on his way to Domino High all over again. Just how long had it been since he'd last seen her in person? The scene was playing inside his head like a broken record. It had been at their high school graduation ceremony. People were cheering, people were congratulating each other left and right, people were generally getting with the spirit of triumph after having passed one of the hardest aspects of life… except for one, that is.

_"Kaiba?" He hadn't expected it; a hand brushing against his shoulder and a kind smile._

_"What do _you _want, Gardner? Your geek-squad is over there." He'd always been one for appearances, especially when he didn't want a supposed opponent to know what he was actually thinking._

_"Like I didn't already know that." Unconsciously, he admired her fire- the flame that burned so strongly within her eyes showing that she would never back down. Never, not in a million years. No one else would act that way around him, and for that he certainly admired her. But it was even more than a million years before he was going to admit that to anyone. The world simply didn't need that small piece of information, in his opinion._

_She was struggling with something, he could tell. Her gaze was ever shifting from the ground to his face, but not exactly looking at him. It was as if she wanted to look through him, in fact. And this intrigued him. What was it that she wanted to say that seemed so difficult? For all the years he'd known her, Tea Gardner was never one to display such… unease. It pleased him, in a morbid sort of way, how he- his presence, his being- could invoke such agitation from her for once._

_"Well, what is it? Spit it out already, you're keeping me from all the merry-making." He smirked, and this got her attention. In an instant though, an image of a Greek goddess formed in his mind. All vibrant and pure, divine and simply extraordinary… It was probably because it was graduation, that's all. Yes, all the female students probably looked just as pleasing, just as perfect. _

_"I… Well, how is Mokuba doing?" He could tell that she was obviously trying to stray from the topic she'd intended to bring up, but for now he'd play her game. It was safe to say he was intently amused. She'd gotten his undivided attention._

_"He's fine." Keeping his answers short would probably hasten her little diversion, and she'd soon find that Seto Kaiba was not one to be easily swayed._

_"Oh, he's not here today?" _

_"Obviously, Gardner, if he was then he'd be right here beside me." _

_"Oh yes, that does make sense." A lot more sense than what she was trying to say, yes. He refrained from adding that remark though._

_"Is that all you have to say to me?" Could he help it if his presence was dominating, cold, callous, and pretty much intimidating? Adding that to the fact that he was rather impatient made the young CEO a very disagreeable person; most would have known that by this point. The girl wouldn't fall short though, if his calculations were about right. _

_"A-Actually no, Kaiba, I… Well, I wanted to ask about you. Uhm… no, I mean, what will you be doing now that you've graduated?" There was a stutter here and there, and she almost sounded like she was rambling but that was fine for now, he mused. _

_"Again, an obvious answer. I'll be heading Kaiba Corp. full time now." Nevertheless, that didn't mean he'd cut her some slack on his end. Seto Kaiba was capable of being tolerating of course, just that he wasn't too generous with the said trait. _

He could remember as far as that, but the rest of the conversation was a mild blur. The point though, was that the girl had approached him. Even when no one else dared to, she'd made it a conviction to come right up to him to see how _he_ was doing. Not that he was feeling sorry for himself, not one bit. He didn't need anyone else; he was Seto Kaiba after all. It was just that knowing that someone had actually cared to talk to him made him feel… a cross between appreciative and just plain enlivening.

Needless to say, after that, the prospect of it all simply never left him. He wasn't obsessed of course, just that he thought about it every other day. Every spare second he had, to be exact. And within that span of time, he began to wonder how the girl was doing- the girl who had inspired such a reaction from him. What of her dream to become a famous dancer? (He'd known that much about her.) What of her safety- having always been dragged into the next big adventure her best friend embarked on? What of _her_? Was she different now? Did she look different now? Her personality, even when he knew it was close to impossible, had she possibly changed? Maybe if he was completely honest with himself, Seto Kaiba would finally admit that he was actually interested in her, Tea Gardner. But no, the second greatest duelist in Japan was far too prideful for such a thing. So instead, he took off into the not-so-wonderful world of denial, haplessly disturbed and- wonder of wonders- still reminiscing about her.

Until, of course, the moment he laid eyes on her again that is.

His scowl firmly in place, a hand loosely hanging from his pants pocket, he briefly considered going up to her and her blonde friend then and there. But just as he was about to step off onto the street, he stopped short. Wouldn't it be weird? What would he say to her anyways? He didn't need to ask anything he could already perceive from this distance. She'd obviously grown a bit taller and had, not to mention, decided to grow her hair longer as well. He watched as it was carried through the breeze, and concluded for himself that she indeed looked even more stunning with the waist-length hair. She'd definitely pursued dancing, as one could tell from her slim yet firm figure. Her eyes were alive with life, like a child but one could still tell that she'd been through the worst situations all the same. She was still the goddess he imagined she would be- but had evidently refused to acknowledge- from those years ago.

And a small thought entered his mind then. Was she… taken perhaps? Most probably, and the slight chance of it all suddenly gave him a very uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, like someone had reached in and pulled something out. It was probably his lunch, or what little of it he'd had a while ago. He made a mental note to eat more and satisfy this_ hunger_ later, once he got home.

Hadn't Mokuba mentioned something about meeting up with her a few weeks ago? He'd been too stubborn to notice. He remembered though, that his younger brother hadn't said anything about her having a boyfriend. Maybe he'd forgotten, or they'd just never discussed it. After all, Tea wasn't one to go around saying she had someone. But maybe that was because she just didn't have anyone yet. The possibility made him feel a little better. Yeah, Seto Kaiba had a good resistance to bad meals.

* * *

"We're pretty much done here, Mai. Wanna go for some ice cream? I know this really good place nearby." She had an impulsive feeling that they were being watched. If she hadn't felt it before then she definitely felt it now. Someone was… leering at them, from a distance. It felt both relatively familiar, and yet totally new to her. How could she even feel like she knew who it was? She decided to ignore it. Maybe she was just being paranoid, what with all the wedding preparations and the moving to Egypt.

"Sure, why not?" The violet eyed duelist hadn't noticed a thing though, for which she found quite strange. Mai was usually more perceptive to this kind of thing, having gotten in and out of trouble numerous times by depending on her foresight for trouble. Maybe she really _was_ being paranoid. She just couldn't shake the feeling off though.

Looking both ways, she grabbed the blonde's arm and tugged her towards the pedestrian lane. If she couldn't get it out of her system, then she would simply have to try avoiding it. Perhaps it was a stray dog or cat or whatever creature that was following them. It didn't necessarily feel like an immediate danger so she didn't feel the need to bring it up either. Mai would just end up thinking that she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown anyhow.

"Hold on for a second there, girl, aren't we walking a little too fast?" She ignored her friend's comment and kept moving, failing to realize that the streetlight had changed from red to green.

"Tea, watch out!"

In a flurry of seconds, quick reflexes, and a peculiarly recognizable blue trench coat, the bride-to-be found herself tossed up and over a strong, supporting back and once again on the other side of the street. The distinctive sound of cars honking violently loud made her head spin, and she slowly felt herself losing consciousness.

"Why don't you ever watch where you're going, Gardner?"

She barely caught the snide yet nonetheless relieved remark, and stared up at her savior as her eyesight began to blur. Dark blue- no, azure was the perfect word for it, just like how the sea glimmered during the summer time. She'd been rescued by an angel of sorts, she was sure of it.

She smiled faintly, using the remainder of whatever strength she had left to lift a limp hand up to his face and caress his cheek.

"Thank you," And she whispered this so only he would hear.

**-TBC-**


End file.
